Murder On the Sohma Express
by lady-warrioress
Summary: Someone has killed Akito Sohma! It's up to Tohru Honda to find out whodunit. Will she find the killer before the train reches its next destination? Reviews welcome. TEMEORAILY DISCONTINUED
1. Chapter 1

This fan fic was inspired a book entitled _Murder on the Orient Express _by the great british murder mystery writer Agatha Christy. I bow to you A.C! I am just borrowing a few things. I do not own Fruit's Basket or _Murder on the Orient Express. _I have no money.

Cast Of Characters:

_Victom and Suspects_

Akito Sohma: A very rich and sinister businessman from Tokyo. Almost everyone else on board feared and respected him for some reason. What dark secrets did he know about them all? And who would kill to keep them that way?

Kureno Sohma: Born the Year of the Rooster. Akito's manservent. A quite man who doesn't get out much. Could he secretly be a murderer?

Ayame Sohma: Born the Year of the Snake: A famous designer of clothing. On a leasure trip with his girlfriend. What would his reason be for killing Akito Sohma?

Mine Kurame: Ayame Sohma's girlfriend. Could she actually be an accomplise?

Hatori Sohma: Born the year of the Dragon. A well known doctor. Would he throw away his carear to make sure justice was done?

Hatushara Sohma "Haru": Born the year of the Cow. On a trip with his wife.

Rin Sohma: Born the Year of the Horse. Haru's wife

Yuki Sohma: Born the Year of the Rat. Collage student on winter break. Does his frequint insistants that he never met Akito Sohma mean he could be hiding something?

Shigure Sohma: Born the year of the Dog. Aspiring writer. Could his next novel be the key to the mystery?

Momiji Sohma: Born the Year of the Rabbit. Half German half Japanese. A young energetic boy who is on his way home to see his parents. Could his overly innocent eyes be hiding a dark secret?

Hiro Sohma: Born the Year of the Ram. Why is he traveling alone at his age?

Kisa Sohma: Born the Year of the Tiger. Under Hrio Sohma's watchful eye whenever she enters a room. What is he trying to keep her from saying?

Ritsu Sohma: Born the Year of the Monkey. A bit nervous . Is that from paranoyia or guilt?

Kyo Sohma: Born the Year of the Cat. On a trip with his girlfriend. Would his bad temper lead him to murder?

Kagura Sohma: Born the Year fo the Pig. Kyo's slightly screwy girlfriend. Is her airheaded atttude real or just a front?

_Investigators_

Tohru Honda: A newly hired Private Investigate in Tokyo. On a trip with her two best friends during her winter vaction. Will she be able to find the murderer by the time they reach the next city?

Ansa Uotani, "Uo-chan": Tohru's best friend. Works at a local secraterial service. On trip with her two best freinds.

Saki Hanajima, "Hana-chan" :Tohru's other best friend. Is currently unimployed. Will her strange powers help Tohru find the killer?

Chapter One

The Train Station

"Hurry up!" Ansa Uotani (Uo-chan) called to her two friends Tohru Honda and Saki Hanjima (Hana-chan) as they ran toward their train in the Tokyo Station. "If we don't hurry we'll miss our train!"

"We're coming!" Tohru called rummaging through her purse. "I can't find my ticket."

"You can't find your _ticket!_" Ansa exclaimed slapping her own forehead in disbelieve. "How could you not find your ticket? Didn't you put it in your purse before we left?"

Tohru smiled nervously and her face turned bright red with embarresment. "Yes, but I think I might have dropped it-"

"DROPPED IT?" her blond friend exclaimed. "I hope not!"

"I'm sorry... Oh, here it is!" Tohru held up the ticket and waved it, grinning. "See I didn't forget it!"

Ansa sighed with relief. "Good," she said. "Now can we-OOF!" she'd walked into Saki who had stopped walking. "Hey!" the blond girl exclaimed grabbing her bleeding nose. "What did you stop for?"

"Someone is giving off sinister waves," Saki replied, her dark eyes searching the station then stopping on a man with dark purple hair who was being followed by an orange haired young man carrying suitcases.

"Where?" Tohru asked catching up with her friends and peeking over Saki's shoulder.

The black haired girl pointed a black polished finger at the man she'd seen. "Him," she replied.

The two other girls followed her finger. They both stared at the skinny man with dark purple hair.

"_Him!" _Ansa asked, her face breaking into a wide grin. "HAHAHAHAHAAHHA! He's too wimpy looking to be much of a threat."

"Size doesn't matter," Saki said blandly. "And neither does strenght. You don't have to be tall or muscular to make people fear you."

"You have that right," Tohru giggled knowing who her friend was refering to. Saki Hanajima. "But still-"

Ansa was still laughing. "What? You think he has mystical powers or something too? HAHAHAHA-" The thin man looked over at them. His dark eyes held an icy expression. Ansa's laughter died in her throat. "Ha..."

"You were saying?" Saki asked folding her arms and closing her eyes halfway. "Size and body mass does not matter. All that man had to do was look at you and your froze."

"Who is he anyway?" Ansa asked when she was sure the man looked away.

"I don't know," Tohru said watching the man and his servant enter the train. "But I think we're taking the same train as he is."

"WHAT!" the blond girl demanded. "You mean we're going to be riding the same train as Mr. Ice Eyes?"

"Looks like it," Saki said heading toward the boarding area. "I think we'd better get on before the trains pulls out and leaves us here."

The other two girls followed their friend. As they walked over to the train Tohru began to get a very strange sinister feeling. When she looked toward the train again she saw the skinny man with the purple hair staring right at her.

_A/N_

_I hope you liked chapter one. I'm sorry it was so short. I'm not sure I have everyone right on character but I'll try my best to keep them as themselves as much as I can. Heh. :nervous: Nevermind. _


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2

THE SOHMAS

"Did you notice most of the passengers on this train have the exact same name?" Ansa Uotani asked as her eyes scanned the passengers sitting in the dining car. "Sohma. I wonder what it means."

"Maybe they are on their way to a family reunion," Saki Hanajima suggested stirring her coffee with a straw.

"Maybe, but you know that weird guy who gave us the ice eyes at the train station?" the blond asked.

"What about him?" Saki asked.

"He had the same last name too."

"So?"

"So maybe..."

"What?"

"I dunno. I just think it's weird."

"I don't think it is."

While Ansa and Saki talked about the last names of the passangers Tohru was busy looking from one passenger to another. It struck her weird that most of the passangers had the same last name but it didn't bother her too much. Right now what bothered her most was the man with the dark purple hair that was glaring at her on the other side of the dining car.

_Why's he looking at me like that for? _she wondered until a loud voice broke into her thoughts.

"No I will not go with you back to our room to get your jacket, Kagura. You are not a baby you don't need me holding your hand all the time!"

"Eh?" Tohru looked toward the voice. Near the exit she saw a boy with bright orange hair and eyes glaring at a girl with brown hair.

"Kyo-kun how can you be so mean?" the girl demanded. "After all you were the one who invited me on this trip."

"I did not!" he shouted. "You invited yourself!"

"KYO-KUN!" she growled her voice getting dangerously high in pitch. She stood up. "You make me so mad sometimes..!"

"KAGURA! DON'T!" Kyo shouted.

Too late. **CRASH! **Down went Kagura's foot. Right smack in the middle of the table.

"KAGURA! LOOK WHAT YOU'VE DONE! YOU BROKE THE TABLE!" Kyo shouted.

"Well you broke my heart," she shot back, her eyes filling with exaggerated tears. "Say you're sorry, Kyo-kun."

"If I do will you stop trying to kill me?" he asked.

"YES!" she said grinning.

"Okay then I am sorry," he said.

"And I forgive you!" she said pulling him from the booth. "Now let's go get my jacket!"

Tohru shook her head. "I can see who rules that relationship," she muttered.

The girl's eyes moved on to the next table. There she spotted a man and woman who looked like they might be married. They seemed to be arguing about something.

"Look, Rin, I don't care what he says I will not end this marriage!" the husband, a man with strange white and black hair was saying to a dark haired very beautful woman.

"But you're not the one who is suffering!" the dark haired woman told him looking away and lighting a cigarrette. "I am. Everytime he sees us together he doesn't hurt _you_ he hurts _me_."

"I'll protect you," he said.

She looked at him with mockery in her eyes. "Haru, you keep saying that but everytime it happens you never do," she told him point blank. "Why do you keep holding back?"

"Because, Rin, I..." his voice trailed off.

"Because you are afraid of him," Rin cut him off. "You always have been you're just to afraid to admit that you are a coward!"

"Rin.."

The woman stood. "I don't want to hear it anymore," she said. "I'll be in our room." the woman walked away making Haru drop his head to the table and sigh.

_Hmm... someone doesn't want them together... I wonder why..._

Suddenly a loud voice shouted. "YUKI!"

Tohru's head snapped in the direction of the door. She saw a white haired woman? run toward a boy about collage age with purple/gray hair and give him a big hug. "YUKI! MY BELOVED LITTLE BROTHER! YOU DID COME AFTER ALL!" the woman shouted all happy. "Now you can meet my girlfriend!"

_Girlfriend?_

"Let me go, Ayame," the boy ordered.

Ayame did so and said practically jumping up and down with happyness. "I've been waiting to show you to her since I heard you were coming home for Chirstmas. You've got to see Mine. She'll just eat you up!"

"I don't want to see your girlfriend, Ni-san," Yuki said in an annoyed voice.

"OH, BUT YOU MUST!" Ayame said grabbing Yuki around the waist and throwing him over his shoulder. "Now come along!"

"AYAME! PUT ME DOWN!" Yuki shouted.  
"She's over here," Ayame was saying. "Hey Mine, I'd like you to meet my little brother."

Tohru saw a woman in glasses get out of the booth she'd been sitting in. "He's so cute," the girl said all smiles. "Just like his older brother."

"Yes, I know," Ayame said putting a hand on his chest in pride. "I am a fine figure of a man aren't I?"

Tohru grinned. "What strange people," she said.

"What are you smiling at, Tohru?" Ansa asked looking over at her grinning friend.

"Nothing," the girl said as a woman in a bright colored kimono came into the room looking very nervous. "I was just thinking that some of the people on this train are a bit weird."

"Tell me about it," Ansa said eyeing the woman in the kimono. "I don't think that counts as casual... what do you think?"

"About what?" Tohru asked.

Her friend pointed at the woman who walked up to a booth where two men were seated. "Get aload of that lady."

Tohru looked toward the booth. She saw the woman sit down next to a very serious looking man. "What about her?"

"Her dress."

"What? It looks nice."

"It lookes like something you wear at a garden tea party." Ansa pointed out.

"Maybe that's where she came from."

"In December?"

Tohru shrugged. "Maybe." she started to get out of her seat. "I think I'll say hello to some of the passangers."

"Okay," Saki said.

Tohru had more than one reason to get up. The other reason was to get away from the man glaring at her. She walked over to a yellow haired boy talking to a girl with orange hair and a boy with pale hair. "Hello," she said.

The three looked up. "Hello," said the boy with yellow hair. "Is this your first time on a train? It's mine. I'm on my way home to see my parents."

"Why are you telling her that, Momiji?" the boy with an overly serious face demanded. "You don't even know her. You shouldn't give out infoe to people you don't know."

"Why not, Hiro?" Momiji asked. "That's how you get to know people."

"It's still not a good thing to do," Hiro said glaring at Tohru. "Besides she looks like someone who doesn't remember things very long."

"Eh?" Tohru said taken aback by that insult.

"Well fine you must know about is," Hiro said. "I'm going home as well but I'm traveling alone."

Tohru looked down at him. "How old are you?"

"Why do you want to know?" he demanded.

"No reason," Tohru said. "You just look so young..."

"So?" the kid looked angry.

"Uh..." Tohru took a step back. "Nevermind."

"Why are you always so mean to people?" the girl with orange hair asked. "She was just curious."

"It's none of her business what my age is, Kisa," he growled. "She's just nosy. Stupid and nosy, just like all woman."

"Hiro..." Kisa said hugging a stuffed tiger toy. "You shouldn't say things like that."

"But it's true, Kisa," he protested. 'I-"

"I'M SORRY! I DIDN'T MEAN TO SPILL MY DRINK IN YOUR LAP!" a loud voice screamed cutting off the kid's words.

"Eh?" Tohru looked over her shoulder. She saw woman in the colorful kimino bowing to the serious looking man. "I'M SORRY! I'M SORRY!"

The other man at the booth leaned over and poked the woman in the side. The woman seemed to deflate and fell into the booth next to the grouchy dark haired man.  
"Calm down, Ritsu," the happy looking man said. "It was an accident. There is no need to get bent out of shape about it."

"Bent out of shape?" Ritsu asked. "I'M NOT GETTING BENT OUT OF SHAPE! I SPILLED MY COFFEE IN HIS LAP! IT'S GOING TO LEAVE A STAIN! HE'LL NEVER BE ABLE TO WASH OUT!"

"Ritsu..." the man began.

Ritsu jumped to her feet, a look of determination on her face. "I've got it! I'll wash it right now!" She made a grab for the man's pants. "Here let me do the honor of washing your pants."

The dark haired man glared at the woman and said. "No thank you."

"BUT I MUST!" Ritsu shouted throwing herself at him. "IF I DON'T YOU'LL NEVER BE ABLE TO EAR THOSE PANTS AGAIN!"

"RITSU CUT IT OUT!" the man screamed trying to posh her off. "SHIGURE, GET HIM OFF ME!"

Tohru's eyes grew wide. "HIM!" she gasped, gaping at the person in the dress. "THAT'S A MAN!"

The happy smiling man looked up and spotted Tohru staring at them. He got up and grabbed Ritsu, pulling him off the other man. "Ristu, get off Hatori," he said yanking on the man's flower covered waist. "You're scaring that girl over there."

"I am?" Ritsu looked up and spotted Tohru. He instantly let go of Hatori who went back to mopping coffee off his pants. "Finally," the man said.

"Uh...," Tohru said staring at them. "Uh..."

The smiling man named Shigure let Ritsu got, who sank bank into his seat, and walked over to her. "Hello," he said. "Sorry about that. Ritsu is a bit spastic."

"Is she really a guy?" she asked.

"Yes," he said.

"Why does he wear woman's clothes then?" she asked.

"Because it helps him stay calm," Shigure said smiling.

"Oh..."

The smiling man put out his hand. "By the way, I'm Shigure Sohma," he said. "I am a writer of adult books. You may have heard of me."

Tohru nodded. "I might have. Did you write _Tear in the Rain?_" she asked.

Shigure chuckled and shook his head. "No, but I wrote other stuff," he told her. "By the way. What's your name?"

"Tohru Sohma," Tohru replied. "I'm a private investigator."

"Oh a P.I.," he said. "Maybe I'll hire you sometime to do some investigating of my own."

"Hey, Shirgure, stop hitting on her!" Hatori shouted from the booth. "And stop undressing her with your eyes."

"EH?" Tohru exclaimed taking a step back.

"So are you going to introduce us to her or not?" he went on.

"Oh sure umm.. This is Ritsu Sohma and Hatori Sohma," Shigure said waving to the two men who nodded at her. "Would you like to have a seat."

Tohru stared at them all then nodded. "Okay."

They sat down.

_A/N_

_Everyone is a bit OOC in this chapter but this is the best I could do. This chapter also introduces most of the characters in some way so things are a bit rushed. I hate rushing chapters but sometimes I can't help it... Things will get interesting later when the murder happens. _


	3. Chapter 3

CHAPTER 3 THE WARNING

"So," Shigure asked Tohru once she was seated. "Why are you on this train?"

"I'm on my Chirstmas vacation," Tohru replied. "My friends and I were planning on going to Nagino to do some skiing."

"Oh," Shigure nodding as if he knew all along.

"So why are you all on the train?" Tohru asked looking at the three men and the other passengers. "Are you all on your way to a family reunion?"

"No," Shigure replied giving her a look. "What makes you think that?"

"Well for one thing, you all have the same last names," she pointed out.

"Oh that," he said laughing. "That's just a coincidence."

"So what _are_ you doing on the train then?" she wanted to know.

"I'm going to Kyoto to get some inspiration for me new book," Shigure took a deep breath and let it out. "Aw, there is nothing like a new city to get the creative juices flowing!"

"You're just going there because nobody knows you there and you are more likely to have a one night stand with someone," Hatori said glaring at his friend. "Aren't I right?"

A sweatdrop appeared on Shigure's forehead. "Eh... who asked you?"

"Nobody," Hatori said, shrugging. "But I know you and I know how your mind works."

"I know how your mind works too," Shigure shot back.

Hatori shook his head. "Nope. You only _think_ you do."

Shigure wilted. "You're right..."

"I know," Hatori said looking out the window as he sipped his newly refilled coffee cup.

Just then a waitress came up to them holding a tray of drinks. Tohru could see that in two of the glasses was beer and the third glass had V8 vegitable juice. _I bet the juice is for Ritsu... _she thought glancing at the dress wearing man. _He looks to nervous to be the type to drink._

Just then Ritsu got up. When he did he bumped the waitresses hand and knocked the tray out of it. "LOOK OUT, TOHRU!" Shigure shouted as the drinks toppled off the tray.

Too late. The beer and the vegitable juice splashed onto her white pants creating a huge ugly stain.

"I'M SO SORRY!" Ritsu said at once staring at Tohru in horror. 'IT WAS ALL MY FAULT! I SHOULD HAVE WAITED UNTIL WE HAD OUR DRINKS ON THE TABLE BEFORE I STOOD UP!" He grabbed for her clothes. "Let me wash them for you!"

"Cut it out," Hatori said grabbed the collar of Ritsu's flowered kimno and pulling him back into the booth. "You didn't do it on _purpose _but you really need to stop being so clumsy."

"YES, I AM CLUMSY!" Ritsu shouted throwing back his head. "I'M SO CLUMSY I RUINED A NICE GIRL'S PANTS! I DON'T DESERVE TO _LIVE_! WAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!"

Shigure shook his head and looked at Tohru. "I think you'd better change before that leaves a stain."

"Eh?" she said looking at him. Then she remembered what had happened and stood up. "Oh, yes. I'll change right away."

She walked away from the booth. As she headed for the door that lead into the cabin cars she had the sneeking suspicion she was being watched. When she looked over her shoulder she spotted the purple haired skinny man from the train station glaring at her. The look on his face was enough to make her shiver and she quickly turned away form the piercing stare.

* * *

When Tohru reached her room she took off her pants and threw them into a little sink. She poured oup into the sink and turned on the water. Right then she wished she had some bleach for without it, the stain would most likely never come out. She shook her head at the loss. It had been her favorite pair of pants. "All well," she told herself getting out of her clothes and stepping into the shower. "There's nothing I can do about it."

After she had showered and redressed in dark blue jeans and a dark blue sweater she blow dried her hair and once again stepped into the hall. Saki and Ansa were probably still in the dining car waiting for her to return. She glanced at her watch. It was nearly supper time.

Just as she closed the door to her room she noticed something taped to it and stopped. She stared at the thing and discovered it was a white piece of paper. Curious, she ripped it off the door and stared at it. It was a note. Written in bold letters were the words;

**IF YOU WANT TO LIVE TO SEE THE END OF THE RIDE YOU WILL STAY OUT OF MATTERS THAT DON'T CONCERN YOU**

Tohru looked up from the note and stared up and down the hall. She saw noneone. _Who could have put this here and why? _she wondered.

She decided to ask Saki and Ansa. Maybe they could shed some light on the question.

_A/N_

_Sorry for the short chapter and sorry I took so long to update. I've been busy. Well I hope you liked the chapter even though it's short. I'll try to make the next chapter longer and I hope to update sooner next time.We'll see. I think I spelled Nagino and Kyoto wrong. Umm how do you spell it? Can you help me?_


	4. Chapter 4

CHAPTER 4 The Night

"Where were you?" Ansa asked when Tohru returned to their table.

"I kinda got something spilled on my clothes and had to change," Tohru replied sitting down in the girl's booth.

"Oh," Ansa said nodding. "That would do it."

Saki was staring at the passengers on the train thoughfully. "Have you noticed that all the passengers seem to be avoiding the purple haired guy or giving him a cold stare?" she asked her friends.

The other two girls looked over at her. "Not really," Ansa told her. "I wasn't paying any attention."

"Well it's true," Saki went on glancing around again. "They all are sending out the same signal. I feel very sinister waves in this dining car..."

"You _always_ sense sinister waves," Ansa said rolling her eyes. She looked at Tohru. "While you were gone she said she felt "sinister waves" coming from the man behind the bar. All he was doing was looking at her."

"He wasn't "looking" at me," Saki reminded her. "He was _staring_ at me."

"Maybe he thought you were cute," Tohru suggested, glancing over at the bar. "See he's still staring at you. Maybe he wants to ask you out."

"Or," Saki's head slowly turned back toward the bar. "He thinks I'm weird."

The man noticed her staring and hid under the bar.

"There he goes again," she said looking back at her friends. "He's hiding from me and trying to make me think he's not looking at me when I know he is..."

Tohru looked over at the bar again. "Well... maybe he's shy."

"Maybe..." Saki said as a black aura surrounded her. "Or he's some kind of stalker..."

"I don't think he's some kind of stalker," Ansa said.

Just then the strange man with the cold eyes came into the dining car. When he did all conversation seemed to stop and everyone seemed to stare coldly at the man as he and his bodyguard walked by. He glared at the girls as he walked by their table. The bodyguard stared at them too and gave Ansa a strange love stuck look.

"See what I mean?" Saki asked after the man was seated and no longer glaring at them. "There is something about that man that causes everyone in here to suddenly go tense."

"Maybe he's the leader of the Japanese Mafia or something," Ansa suggested. "Or everyone here owes him something."

"Maybe," Tohru said staring at the man who was talking to his bodyguard who seemed to be preoccupied. _What is it about him that makes everyone go tense anyway?_

* * *

Later that night as Tohru was getting ready for bed she stared out the window in her room and noticed the blizzard had gotten worse. _I hope it doesn't get too bad, _she thought as she slipped into her night clothes. _If it does and we get stranded we won't be able to get the the ski slopes on time to get our rooms..._

The girl yawned and stretched. "Maybe it will clear up later on," she said to herself as she climbed into her bed. "Most storms don't last very long do they?"

The girl turned off the light and instantly fell asleep.

* * *

Sometime in the middle of the night a noise woke her back up. "Huh?" the girl said getting up. "What was that noise?"

Tohru got out of bed and opened the door. She saw that kid Hiro Sohma coming back from the bathroom but nothing else. Shrugging she went back into her room and flopped down onto her bed. She fell back to sleep.

* * *

The next morning when Tohru woke up again she saw sunlight streaming in from her window and she no longer felt the movement of the train. _It stopped? _she thought as she got up and looked out the window. _Are we there already? _That's when she noticed they weren't at the station. They were in the middle of nowhere. _What in the world? What's going on? Why did we stop here?_

"Tohru," a voice behind her said.

The girl turned around. She saw Saki and Ansa standing behind her. "Girls," she said. She noticed they had serious looks on their faces. "What's wrong? Did something happen?"

"I think you'd better come with us," Ansa said.

"Why?" the girl said as she stepped out of her room. "What is it?"

Saki pointed down the hall. "That," she said.

Tohru saw some people peeking into an open cabin. "What's wrong?" she asked again.

"You know that guy who was giving everyone a cold stare yesterday?" Ansa asked.

"Yes, what about him?"

"Someone got into his cabin last night," the blond replied. "Akito Sohma has been murdered."

_A/N_

_Sorry it took so long to update. I've been busy. Hope you're not mad. _


	5. Chapter 5

CHAPTER 5 INVESTIGATING

Tohru's eyes grew wide in shock. "Akito Sohma is dead?" she asked.

Saki nodded. "Yes," she replied. "He was found murdered in his bed about an hour ago."

"What happened?" Tohru questioned.

"I think you'd better see for yourself," Uo-Chan replied stepping out of the way so the girl could see inside.

Tohru walked past her friends and walked into the room. She stopped at what she saw. Akito Sohma lay on his stomach with his back to the door. The private investigator could see many bloody wounds on his back in several places.

_What happened? _

"Excuse me," said a voice behind her.

Tohru turned around and saw Hatori Sohma standing behind her holding a black bag. "What are you doing?" she asked, staring at his face.

"I'm a doctor," he replied, not meeting her eyes. "I've come to take a look at the body."

"Oh." she moved out of his way. The man stepped inside and knelt down beside the body. He examined it for a moment then looked up. "It looks like he was stabbed," he told the girls.

Tohru gasped. "Stabbed?"

He nodded. "Quite a few times actually."

"How many?" she asked.

"About a dozen," he answered shortly.

She put a hand over her mouth. "Who would do something like that?" she asked.

Hatori shrugged. "I don't know," he replied, closing his bag. "It could have been anyone. Quite a few people on this train have reasons to kill him. It might be any of them." he walked out of the room. "I just don't know who."

The three girls watched him go. _Something's wrong here, _Tohru thought. _Dr. Sohma didn't seem that concerned about what happened. I wonder why. _

"Tohru," Saki's voice broke into her thoughts.

The brown haired girl looked at her friend. "Yeah?" she asked.

"What's wrong?"

Tohru shook her head. "I don't know," she answered. "but I think I'd better get a better look around in here."

"Don't tell me you're going to get involved with this?" Uo-chan asked shaking her head. "It's not any of your business, Tohru."

"I know Uo-Chan," Tohru answered. "But I can't just let it be. Who knows who might have done this and it looks like we won't be getting to the next town very soon. If I find out who did it..." her voice trailed off.

Arisa shook her head. "I should have figured you wouldn't let this alone," she said smiling slightly. "So what are you going to do?"

Tohru shook her head. "I don't know," she said. "First I think I'll look around this room a little while and figure out a few things like when he died and why."

Her friends nodded. "Okay," they said. "We'll get some breakfast and be back in a few minutes. Do you want something?"

"Just get me some coffee," the girl said, already looking around the room for clues.

"Okay.," her friends headed to the dinning car.

Tohru got down on her hands and knees and started searching the room for anything that would tell her what had happened the night before. Maybe she's even find the murder weapon. _Don't be silly, Honda, _she chided herself. _It's very likely that the killer took it with him.. or her... or it..._

She sat up and found herself staring into Akito's dead eyes. With a slight squeal she moved herself back and stared at the body from a safe distance. She could see the blood staning his bare back and a few of the knife wounds. _Why stab him so many times? _she wondered, her eyes on the wounds. _One or two would have done the job. Twelve is overkill. Way overkill!_

She stood up and looked toward the window. It was open slightly and cold air and snow was coming it. _Could the killer have snuck on the train whil everyone was sleeping and done it? _she asked herself, walking up to the window and peeking outside at the wintery landscape. _But if they had... They would have known the train was going to get stuck here and that's not likely. Who would be able to know something like that? _she looked back at Akito's body. _No. It must be one of the passengers. But who? Just how many people are even on this train? _then she remembered.

The train hadn't had very many passengers because most people had taken cars or planes to get to their Winter Vacation places. Not very many people used the train anymore. It struck her strange that most of the passengers had the last name Sohma. She remembered the looks the other Sohma's had given the man the night before. _Could one of them have done it?_

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"How was your search?" Saki asked when Tohru sat down in their booth in the dining car a half hour later.

Tohru shook her head. "Not very fruitful," she replied rubbing her forehead as she sipped her coffee. "I didn't find out much. I didn't even find a murder _weapon_!"

"Were you expecting to?" Uo-chan asked leaning forward and resting her elbows on the table.

Tohru shook her head. "Not really," she replied, taking another sip of her coffee. "But I can wish can't I?"

"Don't worry Tohru," Saki encouraged. "You'll find something."

Tohru gave her friend a small smile. "I hope so," she said.

Saki wasn't listening anymore. She was too busy looking around the room with that blank stare of her but Tohru saw something in her friends eyes. Something was up.

"What is it, Saki?" Tohru asked.

"I sense something," the girl replied, her eyes looking around the dining car at each person. "Someone's scared."

"Scared?" Tohru asked. "Scared of what?"

"I don't know," the gothic girl replied. "But I think it might be about that murder last night."

"Do you know who it is?" Ou-Chan questioned.

Saki shook her heads. "No," she replied. "There are too many waves to distingush." she looked at her friends confused faces. "I think it might be more than one."

_A/N_

_Sorry for not updating in so long. I'll try to update sooner but I'm trying to finish other stories so I'm not overloaded anymore. I might have to read the book again. I forgot some of the plotline. Just to ask, is Uo-Chan's name Ansa or Arisa? I saw her name on two different sites and it was spelled differently. I don't own the books, but I've watched the anime and read the manga at a friend's house. _


	6. Chapter 6

CHAPTER 6

"All right," Tohru said a few hours later as the three girls sat down to lunch. "I made a list of suspects and-"

"Suspects?" Arisa said, slapping her forehead. "Oh no! Don't tell me you're serious about solving this thing."

"I am," Tohru said determindly. "I can't just stand by while a murder has been comitted. Besides; it doesn't look like we'll be going anywhere anytime soon. The storm has stopped the train so we're stranded."

"Oh yeah," Ou-Chan said, remembering that fact. "I wish they'd get the snow plows going already."

"That don't have snow plows for train tracks," Saki said in a flat voice.

"I know that," the blond girl said. "I was just-"

"Being forgetful?" Saki finished her sentence.

"Well I wouldn't put it that way but yeah," Ou-Chan said. She looked back at Tohru and changed the subject. "So who's on your list of suspects. I hope I'm not one of them."

"No," Tohru said. "You and Saki aren't one of them. What reason would you have to kill him anyway? We only met him yesterday."

"Good point," Arisa agreed, nodding. "We wouldn't, unless one of us is serial killer who kills for absolutely no reason."

"I hope you're refering to yourself with that statement," Saki said.

Arisa gave Saki a look and Tohru laughed. "No," she said. "My list of suspects consists of the other passangers."

"The other passangers?" Ou-Chan said, taking the list and looking it over. "Shouldn't this list be a lot longer then?"

Tohru shook her head. "I talked with the conductor. Aside from us the only other passangers on this train are Sohmas."

"Sohmas?" the other girls said in one voice.

"Yep, every last one of them, except for us of course."

"Of course," Saki said.

"So why do you think any of the Sohmas would want to kill one of their own?" Arisa asked. "They aren't very much like the Mafia are they?"

"I don't know much about the Mafia, aside from the fact that if you mess with one of their own they'll go after you, but I do know that most of the Sohmas kept on giving Akito dirty looks last night," Tohru told her. "I don't know what they have against him but I'm going to find out."

"How are you going to do that?" Uo-Chan asked. "Interview them?"

"Exactly," the brown haired girl said with a smile, she started to get up.

"Hold it!" Ou-Chan exclaimed grabbing her friend's arm. The girl looked at her. "Are you planning on interviewing _all _of them?"

"Well yeah," Tohru said, shrugging. "It shouldn't take long if they're all together."

"All together!? Tohru-Chan, you can't interview them _all at the same time_!"

"Why not?"  
"Because if you do their stories will mesh together," the blond explained. "Now if you interview them one at a time you won't have that problem or the stares they'll give each other."

"What stares?"

"The kind of stares that people give each other when they're all in on a conspiracy," Aeisa explained. "You're the P.I. and I figured that out?"

"So you're saying if I talk to them seperate they won't be able to give each other those stares and they'll have to tell me their accounts of last night from their own points of view?"

"Exactly."

"So, are you going to talk to them now?" Saki asked.

"I plan to," Tohru said. "But I'll need your help to explain how I'm going to do things."

Her friends were willing enough. With a nod the girls got out of their booth and headed for the first table where Ritsu, Hatori, and Shigure Sohma were seated, discussing the murder that had happened that morning.

_A/N_

_I am so sorry I took so long to update and I'm also sorry this chapter was so short. The next one will be longer. I promise. _


	7. NOTE

NOTE

Due to the bad case of writer's block I have been having the past few months I will be discontinuing this story for the time being. I am very soryy for any inconvience and when I start updating again you'll be sure to know.


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